Walkabout
By: J. David Chapman/February 24, 2022
In the 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee, Paul Hogan played Mick “Crocodile” Dundee. Crocodile Dundee would go “walkabout” – a spontaneous journey through the wilderness of one’s choosing in an effort to satisfy one’s itchy feet. I suppose I do something similar with my own spontaneous journeys around the U.S. Julie and I take short spontaneous trips to clear our heads and gather ideas and concepts to bring home to implement in our community.
We took the Presidents Day holiday weekend to take a walkabout in our GMC Yukon. We did not know where our journey would end, but we started heading south on I-35 away from the cold. Our first night was spent in the Historic Stockyards district of Fort Worth, Texas, where we dined at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Joe T. Garcia’s, and checked out the newest boutique hotel called the Hotel Grover. Named after the men and woman who cared for cattle on the trail or in the Stockyards, this boutique hotel is done right and a must see while visiting Fort Worth.
Up early the next morning we headed to Waco, Texas, to the Magnolia Market at the Silos. This shopping complex that encompasses two city blocks was designed and built by Chip and Joanna Gaines, best known for the HGTV show Fixer Upper. The famous couple took an area marked by two 120-foot silos and built a complex of “micro-retail” shops and surrounded them with some of the best placemaking concepts and ideas I have seen. Well done, Chip & Jo!
After a morning in Waco, our walkabout continued to the small coastal town of Kemah, Texas. Kemah is home to the Kemah Boardwalk, a 60-acre theme park, built entirely along the shores of Galveston Bay. There is no charge to walk around the boardwalk to check out the restaurants, rides, games, attractions, boutique hotels, marinas, boats, and shops. Don’t miss this little jewel on the Gulf Coast.
We spent the next morning in the sun at the Galveston Sea Wall watching one of the three Mardi Gras parades along the sea wall and famous Strand in Downtown Galveston. I love the architecture in Galveston.
The remainder of our trip was spent in McKinney, Texas; Carlton Landing at Lake Eufaula; and Shangri La at Grand Lake. Maybe it’s time for you to go walkabout!
J. David Chapman is professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).